The present invention relates to a label printing apparatus for printing a string of character or symbol on a tape to thereby create a label, and in particular, to a label printing apparatus for creating a label to be wound/affixed around an object.
Conventionally, there have been developed label printing apparatuses, in which a string of an arbitrary character or symbol input from a key board was printed on a long-size tape-like sealing paper (hereinafter called xe2x80x9cprinting tapexe2x80x9d or simply xe2x80x9ctapexe2x80x9d), and a printed part of the tape was cut out to create a seal label.
In the conventional tape printing devices, it is assumed that a created label should be affixed on a particular flat face of an object. Thus, it was difficult to create such a label as would make a round, to be wound, about a bar-like (column-like) object, for example a mechanical pencil or a pencil.
That is, for creation of a label that should make a round about an object such as a pencil, a length around the object of affix had to be measured to determine a length of the label. Further, it was necessary for accommodation within the determined length to determine the number of characters or symbols, as well as the size of characters or symbols to be printed.
However, the measurement of a length around a solid object was troublesome and complicated for the user, and it was difficult to create a label exactly correct in length.
Further, it was difficult to create an elaborate label, such as a label having a character string to be arrayed uniformly in orientation, when spirally wound to be affixed around an object.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a label printing apparatus for creating a label to be wound/affixed around an object, as a printed part to be cut out after a printing on an adequate length of part of a printing tape, wherein the label printing apparatus automatically determines a length of the label in accordance with a configuration of the target object and a numeral value on a configuration-depending characteristic defining the configuration, and wherein the label printing apparatus makes a printing such as for characters or symbols to be printed in an adequately arranging manner within the length.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a label printing apparatus adapted for creation of a variety of labels to be used by winding on an object.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a label printing apparatus for printing a string of characters or symbols on a tape to create a label to be wound to be affixed on an object, the label printing apparatus comprising character input means for inputting a string of characters or symbols to be printed on the tape, carrying means for carrying the tape, a printing head for printing in a longitudinal direction of the tape the string of characters or symbols input from the character input means, first information input means for inputting information on a configuration of the object, second information input means for inputting particular size information in accordance with the input configuration of the object, calculation means for calculating a length of the label to be wound around an outer circumference of the object in accordance with the configuration information input from the first information input means and the particular size information input from the second information input means, and printing control means for driving the carrying means and the printing head to print, on the tape, the string of characters or symbols input from the character input means with the length calculated by the calculation means.
According to the label printing apparatus, simply by inputting information on a configuration of an object and particular size information in accordance with the configuration, a string of characters or symbols can be printed on a tape in accordance with a length of an outer circumference of the object, and an adequate length of label to be used by winding on the outer circumference of the object can be created with ease.
Further, it may preferably be constituted so that a label created by the label printing apparatus is provided with an overlap allowance. Thereby, an end of the label becomes hard to peel, when affixed to the object.
Further, the calculation means may preferably be constituted with storage means for storing in advance information on a plurality of kinds of configurations of the object, and operational expressions for calculating the length of the label to be wound on the outer circumference of the object in dependence on the length information according to the information on the configurations. By use of the operational expressions stored in the storage means, the length of the label to be wound on the outer circumference of the object can be determined with ease.
Further, the printing control means may preferably be constituted so as to evenly allot respective characters or symbols input from the character input means within a range of the length determined by the calculation means, thereby allowing an attractive printing to be achieved.
Further, the firs t information input means may preferably be constituted with measurement means for measuring the object to take in the particular size information. Thereby, an input operation can be automatic.
Next, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a label printing apparatus for printing a string of characters or symbols on a tape to create a label to be spirally wound to be affixed at a predetermined winding pitch on a cylindrical object, the label printing apparatus comprising character input means for inputting a character or symbol to be printed on the tape, carrying means for carrying the tape, a printing head for printing in a longitudinal direction of the tap e a string of characters or symbols input from the character input means, detection means for detecting a width of the tape, size input means for inputting a diameter of the object, angle setting means for setting a winding angle of the label relative to the object based on the width of the tape detected by the detection means, the diameter of the object input from the size input means, and the predetermined winding pitch, calculation means for calculating a character pitch of the characters or symbols input from the character input means based on the winding angle set by the angle setting means, and printing control means responsive to the winding angle set by the angle setting means, for rotating respective characters or symbols of the character array input from the character input means, and for setting up the character pitch calculated by the calculation means, and driving the carrying means and the printing head, to print on the tape the string of characters or symbols input from the character input means.
According to this label printing apparatus, a label can be printed for arrangement of a string of input characters or symbols in an axial direction of the outer circumference of the cylindrical object.
Since the position of the string of characters or symbols to be arranged is in the axial direction of the outer circumference of the object, the string of characters or symbols can be presented over a relatively long distance, with a large character size, and in a state easy to observe. Further, the label can be wound by rounds about the object, and hardly peels.
In the label printing apparatus, the angle setting means may preferably be constituted with storage means for storing in advance data on winding angles of the label corresponding to width of the tape, diameter of the object, and the predetermined winding pitch. The data of the storage means can be used to facilitate a printing process.
Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a label printing apparatus for printing a string of characters or symbols on a tape made of a transparent material to create a label to be wound in layers on a cylindrical object having a predetermined diameter, the label printing apparatus comprising character input means for inputting a string of characters or symbols to be printed on the tape, carrying means for carrying the tape, a printing head for printing in a longitudinal direction of the tape the string of characters or symbols input from the character input means, conversion means for converting an order of the string of characters or symbols input from the character input means, character pitch setup means for setting up a character pitch of the characters or symbols so that, when the label is wound in layers on the object, the string of characters or symbols having an order converted by the conversion means is arrayed in the order when the string of characters or symbols is input from the character input means, and printing control means for driving the carrying means and the printing head to print on the tape the string of characters or symbols having the order converted by the conversion means, in accordance with the character pitch set up by the character pitch setup means.
According to this label printing apparatus, an easy crypt-message can be printed on the tape, for enjoyment.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present invention.
The objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.